Improvement in tents



J G. FRENCH. Tent.

No. 198,599. Patented Dec. 25,1877.

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N- FETERS. FHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASNONGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JAMES C. FRENCH, OF DEL NORTE, COLORADO.

IMPROVEMENT IN TENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,599, dated December 25, 1877 application filed December 13, 1877.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES GARY FRENCH, of Del Norte, in the county of Rio Grande and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tents; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a tent which can be easily transported when marching or moving without wagons.

It consists in so constructing the tent and its appurtenances that not only is the regular tent pole or poles dispensed with, and any rough pole, a fence-rail, or ordinary piece of lumber of suitable length used in lieu thereof,

but the method of pitching is so simplified that one man can easily do it, and the interior of the tent is practically enlarged by the removal of the center-pole.

Heretofore tents of a capacity for four or more persons have had the objectionable feature of requiring a center-pole or set of poles purposely made and adapted to the tent, which, if one or more were broken, would render the tent useless for immediate occupancy; and from the necessity of carrying these poles such tents have to be dispensed with where wagon transportation is inconvenient or impossible, as in the rapid movements of cavalry in light marching order.

In addition to these objectionable features, where a center-pole is used, it occupies the most useful part of the tent.

My invention overcomes these objections.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents a cap or thimble, of double leather or other suitable material, firmly sewed riveted, or otherwise attached to the cloth of the tent. In the interior of this cap is inserted the end of the pole O, standing at an angle substantially corresponding with the side of the tent.

B represents a guy-rope, attached firmly, in any convenient way, to the thimble or cap, and provided with one or more pins to fasten it to the ground at a suitable distance from the tent, but on the same side as the pole.

At or near the bottom of the tent-cloth, and

' worn or broken.

If preferred, the rope beckets may be dispensed with, and grommets secured in the leather beckets, through which the pins may be passed; but I am aware that these attachments are not new, broadly, yet they are essential in the use of the inclined pole and guyrope. Ordinarily one guy-rope is believed to be suflicient but, if found necessary, additional ones might be used.

To pitch the tent, a circle is first made by the aid of the guy-rope working on a pin as the center, and a knot on or near the end, the distance between the knot and pin corresponding with the size of the tent, or by other suitable means, into which circle the pins are to be driven to secure the tent-cloth in place, after which a pole of suitable lengthfrom one to two inches longer than the side of the tent, from top to bottom-is inserted into the thimble or cap, and the tent raised, the foot of the pole resting upon the ground just within the tent, and on one side thereof, but on the same side of the guy-rope, and forming an acute angle therewith. The guy is then hauled taut, and made fast by pegs, pins, or any other suitable means.

What I claim as new is 1. A tent having its cover supported by a single inclined pole, provided with a guy rope or ropes to hold it in position, substantially as set forth.

2. A tent-cover re-enforced at the top, in combination with an inclined pole and guy rope or ropes, all constructed and operating substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. FRENCH.

Witnesses:

H. R. OLUM, GEO. F. GRAHAM. 

